1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a process and apparatus for the precision cutting of millimeter wavelength ferrite materials.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Ferrites, being brittle type ceramic materials, are susceptible to chipping, cracking and yielding otherwise rough surfaces upon cutting. Typical processing of ferrites utilizes conventional diamond saws for slicing and surface grinding wheels for grinding away ferrite material. These techniques are acceptable for microwave frequency applications where large ferrite pieces are used and where chipping and surface finish flaws will not degrade performance. Millimeter wave applications, however, utilize very small ferrite parts (dimensions typically less than 0.254 cm) hence rough surface finishes and chips in these ferrite parts cannot be tolerated when optimum performance is to be obtained.